MANCHESTER – Council members recently approved an ordinance that concerned rent leveling boards which will be taken over by the state by March of 2026.
Resident Bill O’Donnell, who lives in Pine Ridge at Crestwood, noted that he and others in his development had waited for “this Town Council to fix a significant issue that we have been suffering from for a couple years now. For some reason the town made a deal with the management of Pine Ridge at Crestwood to exempt us from being covered by the cap on our rent increases.”
He added, “there was quite an outcry over this two years ago, the then-mayor even called for a meeting at the Whiting Fire Station where he assured us that he, the Town Council and attorney were working to rectify this. I heard the township was working on a new (rent leveling ordinance) that was going to fix this problem and that Pine Ridge and Crestwood residents would finally fall under the cap for this but what I am hearing now is with this second reading is going to do the exact same thing that was done to us two years ago.”
George Morris the township’s rent control attorney explained the ordinance saying, “the ordinance before you tonight, is a stop gap because what is going to happen is that the state is taking over the rent leveling board. Legislation that was passed in Trenton gives the option for rent leveling boards to cease and move to Trenton.”
“This ordinance now matches the language of the state in that it is capped at 3.5%. I understand what the gentleman is saying in that the township was fighting in the courts and they were stuck with it, which brings us to this announcement with next year the rent leveling will be handled by the (State) Department of Community Affairs,” Morris added.
Councilman Craig Wallis asked for clarification. “Their issue was decided by the courts not by a board or council or anybody else?”
“Yes, that issue was already resolved in court,” Morris answered. “It was four pieces of legislation filed against the township.”
“It has been in the courts almost continuously since the (township rent leveling) ordinance was first adopted,” Business Administrator Carl Block interjected.
The statute for the passed legislation will go into effect in March of 2026, Council Vice President James Vaccaro noted.
A question was asked about what protections residents would have with the state regarding the rent leveling board. Do they have an avenue for appeal and how can they do so?
“There will be a due process and they will establish the regulations. Your residents are protected,” Morris said.
“So, our ordinance mirrors the state?” Vaccaro asked.
“It does now,” Morris responded.
Wallis noted that public hearings will be held on the state level.
Tom Ferrell who resides on Hudson Parkway said most home owners associations “don’t do rentals. You have some condo associations and the individual owner of the condo is the renter so will this ordinance apply to all styles of renters?”
Council President Roxy Conniff responded, “this only applies to mobile home communities.” She later responded to O’Donnell that the township’s 2% cap ordinance was challenged by Pine Ridge in court. “That affected all communities because it was in our township ordinance so the court forced us to make a 75+1 instead of 2% cap which is probably where the confusion lies.”
Morris said one of the benefits of the new ordinance is that courts have said “the 75+1 is in your ordinance, it is not in state law at this time so what was adopted by the state does not include that language so they (mobile home owners) will be held to a cap but doesn’t mean the state can’t change and push something through their regulation process.”
“Your adoption of this ordinance tonight sunsets your ordinance over the next 14 months and then forces them, Pine Ridge, to the state where they will be stuck with the percentage that is established by the state which right now is 3.5%, our ordinance will match that tonight. That 75% + 1 revision is not in the state law which is actually a very good benefit,” Morris added.
In other news, Ordinance #25-41 authorized the purchase of 1300 Route 70 and the corner of Roosevelt City Road for $50,000 from Cedar Glen Lakes Inc. Gail Apgar of Columbus Boulevard noted that this property is located next to where The Barn on Route 70 was.
